With their latest album, XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek (The Beautiful Dreams Are Yet to Come), Thy Catafalque invites listeners on an introspective journey through nostalgia, Hungarian landscapes, and raw emotion. We sat down with Tamás Kátai to talk about the creative process, the story behind the music, and what this album means both to him and to his fans.
Hi Tamás! The title “XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek” translates to “The beautiful dreams are yet to come.” Is that something you personally feel right now, or is it more of a message for your listeners?
Hello Stanley. Well, this is the title of the last song on the album and it can be interpreted as a glimpse of hope in the midst of darkness. I don’t think it’s very personal, more like a general urge to see some light in all conditions.
You’ve said this album is like an “introspective journey through the night.” Can you tell us more about what that journey means to you, and what kind of emotions you wanted to bring out in the music?
Life is a journey and if you look at it like that you can understand what this means. Many emotions are present throughout a lifetime but on this record it’s mostly melancholy, excitement and joy and sadness. I think. But it has always been like this with Thy Catafalque, these have been the dominant emotions, probably with the exception of joy and playfulness in the very early years but it has shifted with time.
Tracks like “Mindenevő” hit really hard with their intensity. Was that moment in the album meant to be a shift in tone or energy, or did it come naturally as you were writing?
I like to think all of this is coming naturally. I don’t usually plan anything before songs or albums, with the exception of Alföld, which was decidedly heavy and dark, although I was not able to pull it out like that in its entirety. Mindenevő means Omnivore in English and it’s about the devouring frenzy in its literal and symbolic sense so if the music is intense, that’s why.
The imagery in the title track, with the doppelgänger digging his own grave, feels pretty personal and surreal. What was going through your mind when you came up with that concept, and how does it relate to where you are in life right now?
Well, it was just an idea to connect the video with the previous one from the last album. In the Néma vermek video I was digging on a field that was just a couple of miles away from this shooting location and I thought it would be interesting to bring the scene into this new video as well as a symbol of continuation.
You’ve worked with over 20 guest musicians on this album. Was there anyone who brought something unexpected to a track, or someone who made you rethink part of your vision?
Yes, plenty. It happens and I like when it happens because talented people give me new ideas. Ideas that I have never thought about and it’s beneficial for the music, so sure, I’m glad to experience that.
This is your first time working with an outside producer, Gábor Vári. How did that change the way the album came together? Did it push you to try new things, or was it more about refining your own ideas?
The album had been already recorded and written when we started working with Gábor at Miracle Sound Szeged. He was doing the mixing and mastering part so it was only sound production that he was in charge of and we had plenty of decisions to make but it worked out very well. There are some elements I wouldn’t have used before but he suggested, we tried and some did work perfectly and they lifted up the quality of the album eventually.
“Vasgyár” seems to reference Hungary’s industrial past. Were you looking to highlight some changes in the landscape, or is it more of a personal reflection on how things have shifted for you over time?
It’s nothing personal. It’s an allegory of our society and its situation that seemingly has not changed a lot since the communist era where a violent industrialization took over in a mostly agricultural country in the early 50s. We seem to be back in many aspects.
In “Piros kocsi, fekete éj,” you’ve brought back Attila Bakos. Does having his voice on this track feel like a nostalgic return to the past, or was it more about capturing something specific for this album?
Attila completely stopped singing years ago and we met at a festival last year where he mentioned if I had a fitting song for him, he would give it a go. And we managed to do a track together because why not? I’m very happy for that song, it does have a nostalgic vibe to it and it’s fine.
The video for the title track has these surreal scenes from the past. Did revisiting those images of your past reveal anything new to you, either about the album or yourself?
It’s very normal for me personally. You know I get back to my old town, Makó quite often. My whole family lives there and I still see these locations regularly. Makó is a small town, cozy, calm and quiet. I always feel home there.
You’ve released albums at a pretty quick pace. Do you find that speed keeps you focused and inspired, or do you ever feel the pressure of balancing quality with quantity?
I try to do this whenever I feel I have something to create. Forcing it never works and I have been fortunate in the last couple of years, I had a good run. Now, with a somewhat regular schedule with rehearsals and occasional live shows my time and energy are very low and there is a good chance I won’t come out with the next album next year, but that’s fine, you cannot have everything at once. Anyway, I try not to consider the outside world when writing music to avoid the pressure. It’s not easy though, I have to admit.
The album goes from soft and intimate moments to heavier, more crushing sections. Did you plan out the track order to take the listener on a specific emotional journey, or did it all come together as you went?
I was just writing the songs and once they were done there was the task to figure out the order, considering the vinyl side lengths as well. Not an easy task. I was only sure about the first and last song. They were obvious but the rest needed work.
You’ve opened up to a lot of collaboration on this album. How did it feel to share creative control with so many musicians, and did it change your relationship with the music?
Actually it’s still myself deciding on everything but I do consider opinions and often times I listen to them. The main focus is on the music itself.
You often touch on themes of time, nostalgia, and memory. How do you keep those themes feeling fresh and evolving, without repeating yourself from album to album?
Probably I don’t. Sometimes I feel I do repeat myself but hey this is what I can offer.
Hungary’s landscapes seem to be a constant presence in your music. Do you see this album as a love letter to the country, or is it more about capturing memories and personal reflections on how things have changed?
Nah, it is not a love letter to the country or if it is, all of them are. It’s just this is the culture I have been born to and growing up here has its effect on my personality and creative outputs. We all have our own culture, mine happens to be here, in Central Europe.
This album seems a bit more accessible than some of your past work, especially in terms of melody. Do you think your music is naturally becoming more accessible, or was this a specific choice for this album?
I agree that it’s a bit more accessible than it used to be and I think the sound production also has a big part in it. On the other hand the music is still pretty eclectic, demanding and a lot can go on and many times still very extreme and the lyrics are still in Hungarian so when we talk about accessibility it is meant to be relative. But to answer the question it was not a specific choice. It turned out like this this time.
The album ends on a hopeful note, with the idea that “the beautiful dreams are yet to come.” Do you see this album as a form of personal catharsis, or is it more of an invitation for listeners to find hope in their own lives? Thank you for your time!
I find every album as a form of personal catharsis if I may use such a fancy expression. It has not much to do with the listeners, I am absolutely selfish when it comes to music.
https://orcd.co/thycatafalquexiiagyonyorualmokezutanjonnek
If you really would like to support Antichrist, you can just Share our article.
You can also support Antichrist by sending a couple bucks to cover some webhosting expenses. =>> PayPal
